Aerosol particle size distribution measurements

FIGURE 9.23 (a) Aerosol particle size distribution measured at Pomona during the 1972 State of California Air Resources Board ACHEX program, (b) Calculated optical scattering by particles, bsp, for measured size distribution (adapted from Waggoner and Charl-son, 1976). 

The condensation particle counter battery measurements are complemented by aerosol particle size distribution measurements using a dual differential mobility particle sizer system covering a size range of 3-900 nm, and an aerodynamic particle sizer covering aerosol particle sizes between 0.7 and 20 pm. In addition, air ions are detected using a balanced scanning mobility analyser and an air ion spectrometer. During the period of measurements, several new particle formation (nucleation) events occur in tropospheric air. 

Busigin, A., A.W. van der Vooren and C.R. Phillips, A Technique for Calculation of Aerosol Particle Size Distributions from Indirect Measurements, J. Aeros. Sci. 11 359-366 (1980). 

It was found that the requirements were satisfied for application of the linear regression technique to species mass concentrations in a multicomponent aerosol. The results of 254 particle size distributions measured at China Lake in 1979 indicate that the normalized fine aerosol volume distribution remained approximately constant. The agreement between the calculated and measrued fine particle scattering coefficients was excellent. The measured aerosol sulfur mass distribution usually followed the total distribution for particles less than 1 ym. It was assumed that organic aerosol also followed the total submicron distribution. 

Figure 2 indicates Mn/Fe to be somewhat above the crustal ratio through 19 March, and thereafter a marked Increase is seen. The aerosol ratio Zn/Fe averages about 20 times greater than in the earth crust (somewhat greater on 20-21 March), showing "anomalous" atmospheric enrichment of Zn first recognized by Rahn (7). Since particle size distribution measurements, discussed below, show substantial fine particle concentrations of both Zn and Mn, the processes for their transfer to the atmosphere must be different from those for the other six elements of Figure 2. However, their concentration variations in time still resemble those of Fe shown in Figure 1 and therefore these elements may also be relatively large scale characteristics of air masses, in contrast to S where regional pollution sources and aerosol formation processes must be Important.

Particle Number Concentration and Size Distribution. The development of aerosol science to its present state has been directly tied to the available instrumentation. The introduction of the Aitken condensation nuclei counter in the late 1800s marks the beginning of aerosol science by the ability to measure number concentrations (4). Theoretical descriptions of the change in the number concentration by coagulation quickly followed. Particle size distribution measurements became possible when the cascade impactor was developed, and its development allowed the validation of predictions that could not previously be tested. The cascade impactor was originally introduced by May (5, 6), and a wide variety of impactors have since been used. Operated at atmospheric pressure and with jets fabricated by conventional machining, most impactors can only classify particles larger... 

Leung K, Louca E, Gray M, et al. Use of the next generation pharmaceutical impactor for particle size distribution measurements of live viral aerosol vaccines. J Aerosol Med 2005 18 414-426. 

As a result of the complex aerodynamics of the particle beam and associated skimmers, the size distribution of the particles that reach the ion source differs significantly from that in the gas samples from outside the system. To relate the measured chemical compositions to the outside aerosol, it is necessary to correct for this effect. This can be accomplished in principle by determining the elficiency of transmission of particles from the exterior into the chamber. It is also possible to use data for particle size distributions measured outside the spectrometer to characterize the external aerosol. Because the particle size distribution measured with an optical particle counter does not correspond to the aerodynamic diameter, there will be some difficulties of interpretation. 

Setekleiv and Svendsen [180] used the same laser difliraction particle sizer to characterize the ability of mesh pads to separate droplets from the gas stream in a scrubber. Droplets in the size range 30-1000 p,m with a bi-modal distribution was obtained at low pressure. A rough sketch of the mounting of the laser diffraction instrument used in this work is shown in Fig. 13.17. Numerous applications of the LD particle sizer for solid particle size distribution measurements characterizing aerosols and suspensions can be found in the literature. Only a few examples of laser diffraction solid particle size distribution measurements relevant for fluidized bed system characterization are mentioned in this report. Garea et al. [71] measured the solid sorbent particle size distribution in a fluidized bed in-duct desulfurization reactor under in-duct conditions by laser diffraction. Ferrer et al. [66] studied fluidized bed combustion of refuse-derived fuel in presence of protective coal ash and measured the fly ash particle size distribution with a laser diffraction method. Tanneur et al. [192] measured the solid particle size distribution in a fluidized bed by use of a diffraction particle size analyzer. 

Numerous studies have documented both the chemistry and physics of aerosol particulates in several locations, including studies of Arctie haze in the late winter and the aerosol under much cleaner conditions in the Arctie summer. The most complete set of particle size distribution measurements is reported by Covert et... 

The electrical aerosol analyzer and the optical counter are used to measure particle size distributions. Describe the size range and resolution characteristics of each of these instruments. 

One of the newest particle sizing techniques is light scattering. This technique is used to measure particle size distribution, colloid behavior, particle size growth, aerosol research, clean room monitoring, and pollution monitoring. 

Methods for analysis of the particle size distribution in the aerosol cloud include techniques such as time of flight measurement (TOE), inertial impaction and laser diffraction. Dynamic light scattering (photon correlation spectroscopy) is confined to particles (in suspension) in the submicron range. In addition to the size distribution, the particle velocity distribution can be measured with the Phase Doppler technique. 

The particle light scattering coefficient has been continuously measured at this location since 1976. Measurements of the particle size distribution have been made daily since 1978, providing the data base necessary to assess the variability of the normalized aerosol volume distribution. 

On the average, the requirements for application of the statistical technique to filter data were met. Analysis of the 254 measured particle size distributions in 1979 indicates that the fine aerosol volume distribution preserved its shape. The measured sulfur mass distribution followed that of the total submicron volume. By difference, it was assumed that the organics did the same. The low relative humidity at China Lake minimized the formation of aqueous solutions due to water condensation on the particles. Therefore, it is expected that the statistical technique can be used with some success with the China Lake filter data. 

Particle size distributions were measured on aerosols collected in a New York highway tunnel, and the following results were obtained ... 

Distortion of the particle size during the sampling process is a concern in the use of this probe on an aircraft. Compressional heating due to deceleration of the particles may distort the size distribution, because evaporation of water from aerosol particles reduces their diameters. Likewise, particle sizes can be reduced by use of a heater, incorporated into some models of this probe, to prevent icing when supercooled clouds are being flown through. One study (88) indicated that the probe heater removes most of the water from aerosol particles sampled at relative humidities of 95%. Thus, size distributions of aerosol particles measured with the probe heater on correspond to that of the dehydrated aerosol. These results were confirmed by a later study (90) in which size distributions of aerosols measured with a nonintrusive probe were compared to size distributions measured with a de-iced PCASP probe. Measurement of the aerosol size distribution with the probe heater on may be an advantage in certain studies. 

A related technique that is suitable for measurement of aerosols at lower mass loadings is the aerodynamic particle sizer (3, 10). In this instrument the aerosol is rapidly accelerated through a small nozzle. Because of their inertia, particles of different aerodynamic sizes are accelerated to different velocities, and the smallest particles reach the highest speeds. The particle velocity is measured at the outlet of the nozzle. From the measurements of velocities of individual particles, particle size distributions can be determined. The instrument provides excellent size resolution for particles larger than about 0.8 xm in diameter, although sampling difficulties limit its usefulness above 10 xm. 

Chemical Composition Aerosol composition measurements have most frequently been made with little or no size resolution, most often by analysis of filter samples of the aggregate aerosol. Sample fractionation into coarse and fine fractions is achieved with a variety of dichotomous samplers. These instruments spread the collected sample over a relatively large area on a filter that can be analyzed directly or after extraction Time resolution is determined by the sample flow rate and the detection limits of the analytical techniques, but sampling times less than 1 h are rarely used even when the analytical techniques would permit them. These longer times are the result of experiment design rather than feasibility. Measurements of the distribution of chemical composition with respect to particle size have, until recently, been limited to particles larger than a few tenths of a micrometer in diameter and relatively low time resolution. One of the primary tools for composition-size distribution measurements is the cascade impactor. 

The submicron particle number size distribution controls many of the main climate effects of submicron aerosol populations. The data from harmonized particle number size distribution measurements from European field monitoring stations are presented and discussed. The results give a comprehensive overview of the European near surface aerosol particle number concentrations and number size distributions between 30 and 500 nm of dry particle diameter. Spatial and temporal distributions of aerosols in the particle sizes most important for climate applications are presented. Annual, weekly, and diurnal cycles of the aerosol number concentrations are shown and discussed. Emphasis is placed on the usability of results within the aerosol modeling community and several key points of model-measurement comparison of submicron aerosol particles are discussed along with typical concentration levels around European background. 

Fig. 1 (a) Typical clean Northern European median number size distribution (measured at SMEAR II station in Hyytiala, Finland). The approximate modal locations and size ranges of different integral properties of the aerosol number size distribution used are shown (b) variance of number concentration as a function of particle diameter (c) variance of (computed) volume concentration in the same station (adapted from Asmi (2012), [11])... 

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